news....
December 2010
Just a few words firstly about the sort of events we organise. Networking events, conferences, exhibitions, award ceremonies, parties (both private and corporate), product launches, team building, hospitality, international events, incentives, public events, charity events, strategy days plus the odd wedding! Phew! That’s quite a list! We have a selection of case studies on our website that give an idea of the sort of specific events we have worked on, but with over 100 customers, we can’t list everything we have ever worked on. It is safe to say that we are expert in all aspects of event management and organisation and would be delighted to take the strain for you at your next event.
Well, it’s the festive period again! Comes around quickly doesn’t it? We thought we would tempt you with some of the great things we are up to at the moment and entice you to take part in some of them.
Strategy Days
Several of our clients are holding strategy days for their senior people to decide the way forward for their companies in this strange economic climate. Whether you are looking for a luxury venue and facilitated discussion or a more modest venue and team games to break the day up; or a combination of the two, we can help. Venues are being generous with their prices at the moment, so now’s the opportunity to get something booked for January/February. As always, our prices are very reasonable (an average of £40 an hour) and our expertise in these events is second to none. Have a look at the list of clients and some of their testimonials.
Fashionably late…
Are you just too busy to celebrate Christmas in December? How about having a well earned get together in January when things quieten down a little? We can help you arrange a simple meal and entertainment for your troops or something a bit different that will be a celebration and a brilliant way of recognising your staff for their hard work. It could also be a combined team building exercise – so three birds with one stone! Have a look at this case study of a Christmas party we organised for one of our clients for some inspiration.
Award winning
As you know, Tony works with Value Cars on their training company. They won the Sector Skills Council, GoSkills, Small Company of the Year award in 2009 and are finalists again in 2010. This is a terrific achievement and shows the hard work and dedication that the team put into taking the training company forward. Well done everybody!
Some highlights
We have been up to loads since we last spoke, so here are just a few of the highlights; In September we organised and ran the Stapleford Village Barbecue for the second year running. 50 people attended on a glorious summer day (remember those!) and enjoyed delicious local farm shop food prepared lovingly by us. The garden was decorated and had gazebos, tables and chairs set out. The committee were delighted and said, “The event was organised by Banshee Events of Winterbourne Stoke, who did a fantastic, professional job.”
Another highlight was team building the presenters and management team at Spire FM. This was a terrific day, made all the more easy for us by the team being receptive and enthusiastic to take part. The team had a packed day carrying out lots of challenges and learning more about how each other ticks. We had some amazing comments, but these were just a couple of them;
“We have such a strong team and I did wonder on how we could improve on what we had, I used the expression at the beginning of the day ‘we are already tight, so can we actually make ourselves tighter?’ The answer was, absolutely!”
“Take 10 willing volunteers, place in a strange unknown venue, and mix them all up together. Take a selection of ropes, spiders webs, chemical swamps, wooden planks, eggs, water, balloons and blindfolds, and what do you get? A blinking good team building day with Banshee Events!! The day was in my opinion a great success, and showed abilities and sides to people in a very unique environment that we would not have necessarily seen in an office situation alone. Amanda and Tony looked after us in a faultless way, accommodating the needs of the whole team, whilst putting together a series of tasks which demonstrated learning points throughout the day – points we looked to improve each time a further task was undertaken. A very successful day, run by professionals, for professionals with a good dose of fun thrown into the mix! Loved it!”
If you would like us to help your team feel like this - give us a call for a no obligation quote.
Listen out!
Banshee has its first radio advertising campaign starting in January 2011. There are two fabulous adverts to be run at the same time on Spire FM, so please listen out for them and let us know what you think. We will be sat next to the old fashioned tape recorder with fingers poised on record and play!
And finally
The weather has been a feature of the past few weeks and looks set to continue for a while yet. Please keep warm and cosy. A few of our customers have contacted us worrying about whether the weather would affect their events. We can safely say that weather has yet to put the kybosh on any of our events – we have even done archery indoors in a howling gale! So never fear, Banshee is here!
Have a very, very Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year! Make one of your resolutions to renew your relationships with your colleagues and customers in 2011. Let us take the strain of organising it for you, so you can be a guest at your own event!
June 2010
Hello!
Hope you are enjoying the weather – gorgeous isn’t it – definitely puts a spring in your step! We thought we would bring you up to speed with some of the fantastic gigs we have been working on lately! It certainly has been a busy time!
It’s on in the field
Firstly, we project managed the highly successful inaugural It’s on in the field event, on 30 May, in aid of the Stars Appeal. Amanda, working closely with the organising committee, headed up by Adrian Sainsbury from The Value Cars Group pulled the whole event together, which attracted 2000 visitors. Highlights were 30 sports clubs, all allowing people to try out sports from football to archery and from fencing to rugby. Local bands playing in the music tent all day, drama workshops and craft classes for kids in the arts tent and a business village showcasing some local businesses. In the evening the area transformed into a music gig with local singer Jamie Eldridge, the fantastic Brighton based band Imperfect English and local legends Tramps and Amps. It was a terrific day and we raised some money for charity. We are starting to plan 2011’s event already! We had some great feedback, but one of the nicest comments we had was from a little boy who came to the event with his dad, he said that it was great fun and he had a go on everything but the best thing was having something he could do together with his dad.
Winning Awards!
Tony achieved the next success. He worked with the regional committee for the Federation of Small Businesses to create their stand at the Bath and West show at the beginning of June. The theme was ‘Celebrating local business success’ and was demonstrated through inviting three of the regional award winning companies from the Somerset area to exhibit free of charge on the stand. The highlight of this was the Ariel Atom, the fastest accelerating road car in the world, built in Crewkerne. Tony said, “The car proved to be an incredible draw and through that we managed to raise over £800 for CLIC Sergent. But the personal highlight for me was winning the Bronze Award for the Best Non-Agricultural Stand over 6m. We were up against the likes of Marks and Spencer, The AA and Sainsburys. A real feather in the cap for Banshee Events.”
Charity Quiz
The third success was the Hope and Homes for Children quiz, held at Salisbury Rugby Club on 8 June. Banshee Events has been hosting this charity quiz for the last three years and it has proved to be very popular. Tony said, “It is always great fun running these quizzes as the people attending really get into the spirit of the evening and some real competitiveness is shown! The great thing is we managed to raise over £200 for the charity in just one evening.”
Conference in Espana!
Amanda has just packed off 19 people to Spain for a 2 day conference in a 5 star hotel. The group have flown out from 7 different UK airports, a logistical challenge, to say the least! This was for a new client who was delighted with our assistance and we loved every minute of the challenge of sourcing the location, arranging flights and liasing with the groups coordinator – who herself, needs a medal! They are there now, overlooking the Med; so fingers crossed the rain in Spain does fall mainly on the plain!
Coming up!
Next on the list is the FSB Trade Fair to be held in the Guildhall car park on Saturday 26 June. Amanda and Tony, who are organising the event for the Salisbury FSB committee said, “This is the second year of the Trade Fair and we are hoping for the same excellent weather we had last year. A highlight of this years event is John Glen, local MP, is opening the event and then holding an open surgery for anyone who would like to ask him a question.”
Team Building
It’s that time of year again when teams get together in the great outdoors to have some fun and learn more about their relationships with each other. Every year, there is a star activity and this year it’s water balloons! Not for the feint hearted – you need to like getting wet – but enormous fun with some definite learning points! Give us a call if you would like a bespoke proposal put together for your team that will improve team relations and encourage better team working as well as reward staff for their continued support. We’ll shout the coffee and the sticky bun!
That’s all for now, as ever we would be delighted to meet up for a chat and a coffee to discuss any of your event needs – don’t forget our mantra – Be a guest at your own event!
January 2010
Happy New Year to you all, let’s join in our hopes that 2010 is a brilliant year for us all and certainly more positive and forward thinking than 2009.
Fashionably Late
As a result of our last newsletter, many more of our clients are holding their festive celebrations in the early months of 2010 rather than in the traditional December. One group are planning a laser clay pigeon shoot followed by a pub lunch, all complimented by free taxis for the staff to get them home, in March. Another group are planning a team building day, in a rustic location with little reference to the festive season, apart from the chilly weather, in February. Another is holding a Christmas dinner with crackers and hats etc in January – as that suits his team and his business needs best. If you would like to organise something to reward your staff and motivate them for the coming year, please contact us to discuss what options there are available. For some inspiration, click here to have a look at the case study on our website of a previous event we organised.
Strategic Thinking
We also mentioned in our previous newsletter that a worthwhile exercise is to get your senior team together to debate the direction for the next year and get some ideas down on paper that you can all work towards. We are working with some clients to create a Team Charter, where the staff come up with and therefore buy into a set of guidelines, that the whole team can work within to ensure good communication, fewer misunderstandings and a happier team relationship. We are also working with some clients to facilitate a strategic conversation about where the company is going and how they are going to get there. Obviously, this session has the Banshee stamp on it and will include some sessions to warm everyone up to the day and steam letting to clear everyone heads for more thinking! We will then reappear after a couple of months to check progress and if necessary, to refocus the team on the agreed goals. We would be delighted to provide this service to you, please contact us for a free consultation.
New Venture
The new Banshee company is well in development and we will be ready to make an announcement very soon about what new and exciting things we can offer you. Keep your eye on your inbox for more information.
We do hope that we have the opportunity to work with you this year and wish you and your company all the very best for the coming year. Positivity abound!
November 2009
What we’ve been up to
Tony has recently been voted on as Vice Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses. He has had huge success with the FSB Trade Fair in June in Salisbury and with organising the event schedule as a whole. He is currently working on the FSB Christmas Party on 19th December at Milford Hall Hotel in Salisbury. If you would like tickets, please contact us by clicking here and we will send you booking information. Another achievement was being a judge for the New Business of the Year in this years South Wiltshire Business of the Year Awards. Tony has also had another great achievement working with a client, Value Cars Group training by attaining the Matrix standard for the Training Centre. This is a major achievement, not frequently attained by a relatively small training company.
Amanda is currently working on Envirowise’s environmental events in Exeter. The events are designed to improve your bottom line while helping you be greener in your business. These events are free and open to anyone. For more information about the remaining two workshops in the series, click here , and we will send it to you. She is also very excitedly preparing a brand new company for launch soon – but more about that later…
Congratulations on surviving the recession!
We at Banshee are from the camp of ‘if you ignore it, it might just go away’ where the recession is concerned. However, we do recognise that we appear to be through the worst if it and by having some confidence, we can slowly rebuild the economy. We went to a networking breakfast hosted by the Salisbury branch of Smith and Williamson. As part of one of the presentations they recommended that a sensible company would establish a new strategy for a new outlook, involve the senior team and take the whole team with them. They suggested that the ‘old-fashioned’ company away day would be the ideal solution. By having a facilitator to help you and your senior team plan for the future and pull together a workable plan to lift you from the recession. We would be delighted to help you make exciting plans for the future, give us a call for a free consultation – 01980 621254.
Rewarding your people
Your staff have been through a stressful period with you, what better way to show your appreciation for their hard work and loyalty than by holding a team day. Banshee has 5 years of organising hundreds of team events for different teams for different reasons. Some teams need to work better together, others just want a fun day, others want a combination of a workshop and some fun. You tell us your objectives and we’ll build a team day around you and your company, matching exactly your requirements with our array of activities and external suppliers. For some inspiration, have a look at the case studies on our website. For a free consultation, contact us on 01980 621254.
How often do you thank your customers?
The assumption when keeping your customers happy is brought up, is expensive hospitality to international sporting events that neither benefit you nor your relationship with your client, and can be perceived as unnecessarily showy in the current climate. We have some great ideas and the experience to help you make your customers feel special and valued, whatever your budget. From simple gifts to a social event that allows you the time to speak to each customer and thank them personally for their continued support. Click here for a case study of how we helped Southons of Salisbury recognise their clients with their 100 year anniversary celebrations.
Social media anyone?
We are fairly reluctant users of social media, you can find either of us on Linked In and Facebook if you would like to connect electronically!
Fashionably late
Are you considering, like many of our clients, having your Christmas ‘do’ after the festive season, in January? This probably means you aren’t big fans of ‘turkey and tinsel’. Why not consider an alternative Christmas do. How does during the day, with archery or clay pigeon shooting, a treasure hunt ending up in the pub for a glass of mulled wine or a spy game in a local town where you have to solve the clues; followed by a slap up meal and drinks with transport to and from for all the guests? We are full of inspirational ideas for your alternative Christmas celebrations, get in touch for a free coffee and a chat – 01980 621254.
New Ideas
We look forward to the beginning of every year when the industry shows are on and we can go and see the newest and funkiest suppliers to create the most unique events for you. But once in a while something catches our eye outside of that and ‘team building by directing a comedy sketch’, we thought was a novel twist on a theme.
Blog Alert!
We have updated our blog! It is worthy of note as it is an infrequent occurrence! We have put some hints and tips on their on ‘How to rev up your team’ and ‘The key to a perfect team building event’. To have a read, click here.
And finally…
I mentioned at the beginning of the newsletter that I was working on a brand new company. I can’t say too much at the moment but keep your eyes peeled for another Banshee Company coming your way soon! I will let you know as soon as we have launched.
Don’t forget, get in touch for a free consultation – we’ll shout the coffee and sticky bun, we’d love to work with you on producing the best events with the minimum of fuss.
June 2009
The Optimum Moustache Project
The Optimum Moustache Project was conceived of and launched by Harvey Taylor of HBT (UK) Ltd in Bournemouth in April 2009. The principle is borne out of the notion that there are only so many moustaches in the world – when one person grows one then another must shave theirs off. This is a theory that needs exploding and the principle of it can be applied to all levels of thought. The sole aim of The Optimum Moustache Project is to act as a serious and significant counter-balance to media inspired impoverishment mentalities that threaten to undermine economic activity and universal abundance. By wearing a false moustache you are declaring your belief that opportunities to trade and do business are as limitless as they always have been, and always will be.
Our aim is to completely eliminate all recessionary tendencies, beliefs and actions by politicians, the media, businesses and individuals, and to create limitless prosperity. Have a look at Amanda helping to explode this myth here - http://www.hbtuk.com/page78.html
May 2009
Welcome to our first newsletter of 2009! It has been such a busy time that we have neglected keeping you up to date with our goings-on! The main reason for that is that Tony and Amanda got married on the fantastic Amalfi Coast in April, so you can understand that we have had a head full of wedding for months! Not to mention a very full work diary. Ok, we are sorry to have left you for so long, but we are back now and have loads of news for you.
What credit crunch?
Here at Banshee Events, we will not acknowledge the credit crunch. Many of our competitors are struggling, being forced to downsize and cut costs. In contrast we have expanded by 50% in 2008 and are still steadily growing in strength. We think this is down to our great customers and inventive ideas. We have come to the conclusion the crunch has been caused by media hype (blast those 24 hour news channels!) and although there is no doubt that some industries are suffering as a result, the smart companies are continuing as usual and looking after their customers and staff just as much as in previous years; if not more so. There are some great deals to had at venues both in this country and abroad, so why not reward your teams and customers for their loyalty in these trying times and continue to take your business from strength to strength?
Our Blog!
We did manage to update our blog in February – but then never told anyone we’d done it! It has some great tips on how to run a chic event on a budget. To have a look here and let us have your comments!
Long hot summer!
We have been promised a decent summer – if you don’t believe us, have a look at the BBC website. See! Therefore what better way to spend your team day or hospitality budget for the summer than having some fun on the South Coast. We have loads of great ideas, from sand castle building competitions and beach games to making use of a beautiful hotel for a conference and having a picnic in glorious sunshine on the beach or cliffs over looking the sea. Contact us for more information and some inspiration on how to reward your people for their hard work.
Final Fling at Silverstone
As you probably know, this is the last year that Formula One will be going to Silverstone. Would you like to reserve your place in history and take your best customers with you. We have access to a great package including Reserved Grandstand seats, Car Parking, Continental breakfast for early arrivals, Champagne reception, Free bar – so you’ll never be under-refreshed! Relaxed and delicious four course luncheon with beverages, Souvenir Grand Prix programme, Plasma monitors plus Event Managers to make sure you have a great day! If this sounds up your street, give us call to arrange it for you – its on 21st June, so you need to hurry!
Salon Prive
Another fantastic car enthusiasts event takes place over 22nd – 24th July. Salon Prive is for you if you love glamour, super cars and celebrities all under one roof. There’s ladies day, the summer ball, the sportsman’s dinner including Darren Gough and Howard Wilkinson going head to head with their teams on Mastermind! Access to these events start at £125 per head. If your best client or friend or loved-one or indeed favourite event manager (!) loves cars, they’ll love you for taking them along to this! Contact us for more details.
For all you foodies…
In conjunction with Vinopolis, we can arrange cooking experiences for groups of 15-100, in a new film studio-style kitchen at the Southwark-based venue. Choose between full day, half day or evening cookery teambuilding sessions, overseen by leading chefs, with the option of shopping for ingredients in Borough Market and wine pairings; then enjoy the fruits of your labour over lunch or dinner with your team-mates. If your team spends Monday morning discussing what they cooked over the weekend – this is the team experience for you!
Free Training!
We work closely with the Government funded training organisation, Train to Gain. They have money to give away for you to be able to train your senior teams in Leadership and Management. You must have 5 employees and one of your senior team must be involved in the training, then you can access up to £1000 of funding towards your training – no catch. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, contact us to discuss your requirements.
Eat out for less
One of the companies keeping us busy has been the Value Cars Group, based in Salisbury. They are a forward thinking transport company specialising in taxis, 8 seater vehicles, executive cars, couriers, wheelchair transfers and driver training! One of their latest initiatives is Eat out for Less with Value Cars. The idea behind this is an admirable one – they want to keep business local in the Salisbury area and encourage their customers to choose local places to go out and have lunch or dinner. So far they have recruited loads of venues to their list and more are being signed up all the time. All you need is a Value Cars business card to partake of the offers available. For more info look at the Value Cars website.
Country Pursuits
We have mentioned him before, but we work with the most fabulous supplier who provides every country pursuit imaginable. Either supplied at his beautiful, rural venue or brought to you – space allowing. He can offer laser clay and real clay pigeon shooting, archery, axe throwing, crossbows, rifle shooting, falconry, Honda Pilots and other 4 wheel drive fun – the list is endless. If you would like to arrange an event with some or all of these activities, please contact us – we couldn’t recommend him more highly!
Foreign Shores
We have been sent hundreds of fab offers for team building and hospitality across the world. From going to Palazzo – THE place in Amsterdam for a night out, to team building in the Dubai desert to relaxing on Italy’s Amalfi Coast – the ideas are endless and there are some great deals to be had. If you would like to take you best staff or clients away for the ultimate in rewards – do contact us – I bet we can save you 20% or more on normal prices.
Phew! I think this is enough information to be going on with. We promise to send you some more fantastic offers in a few weeks time. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have even a tentative enquiry – we can shout the coffee and if you are good, maybe a cake! As ever, we love to receive your feedback on our newsletters and do feel free to pass this on to anyone you think would be interested.
November 2008
Rural Business Club Presentation
Come and see us at The Angel at Hindon with the Wiltshire Rural Business Club on November 18th where we will be talking about client hospitality and how to achieve great results for a minimum budget. Contact us for more information.
October 2008
Balls! It’s Christmas
How about sending your clients a Christmas tree bauble instead of the traditional card this year? They also would make a great statement on your office Christmas tree or as a window display – plus they can be used year on year. These are cost effective and certainly will get you noticed.
Shhh! It’s Christmas.
I know it seems so far away but you really should think about your Christmas do and when and where you are going to hold it. If you are looking for something outside the usual Turkey and Tinsel, give us a shout. We have arranged some truly different Christmas parties at very cost effective prices. Have a look at the case study on our website by clicking here and then tell us if you would like to arrange a party to remember this year!
Client Events
Whether you would like to reward your clients for their loyalty or encourage new clients to come on board, we can provide a cost effective way of achieving growth in these trying times. Last November we worked with Southons of Salisbury on their 100 year anniversary. They ran several open days with different entertainment in store – from a chiropractor demonstrating the best beds to a children’s’ entertainer to keep the little ones amused, all supported by great marketing and advertising.
We helped them provide the finale of their celebrations in the form of a charity auction for their most loyal clients. The event was staged in Salisbury’s glamorous Guild Hall and included a string quartet, champagne reception, amazing canapés, and a multi-thousand pound auction hosted by George Trytsman. The Mayor paid them a visit along with the local press. By the end of the evening, their clients felt truly spoiled and their business benefited from great publicity. Have a look at the case study with Southons testimonial here : www.bansheeevents.com/customerevents.htm
A well planned and thought through client event can deliver great results – have a chat with us about how we can help you keep the relationships you have worked hard to create, fresh and current.
September 2008
Team Days
Banshee Events have always produced unique, reasonably priced team days for our clients. We have worked with some great clients including Business Link, Waitrose, Crown Prosecution Service, Henkel UK, North Dorset County Council and many other small and large companies and all have been delighted with the results.
Our most recent success was with Sylvawood Pine in Longbridge Deverill – in torrential rain and gale force winds the team of 15 staff and managers really bonded and were able to solve several challenges with huge delight followed by a hearty barbeque. When we left, they had stronger team relationships than they had ever had before; the team could all see each other in a fresh new light and all this was achieved for well under £1000. Contact us to see what we can do for your team – we have worked with teams as small as 5 and as large as 100 – so no one is excluded! Have a look at the case studies on our website by clicking here www.bansheeevents.com/teams.htm
For more information on the benefits of team development, please refer to the November 2007 section of our news page by scrolling down to November 2007.
Luxury Venues
Cowley Manor has undergone a full soft refurbishment of all public areas and bedrooms resulting in a fresh new look to this 30 bedroom, contemporary country hotel. Located in the stunning Cotswolds, 1½ hours from London, Cowley Manor is nestled in 50 acres of private gardens and is home to the award-winning C-Side Spa. Famous for its setting, style and service, Cowley Manor is regularly featured in the top UK and international hotel lists and the Hotel is ideal for exclusive use and private parties.
Washbourne is a trend-setting luxury country house hotel in the heart of the Cotswolds, a truly splendid 17th century manor house standing in four acres of beautiful grounds alongside the River Eye in the centre of Lower Slaughter. The hotel is an inspired mix of exciting contemporary design and handsome historic features.
Leigh Court, just outside Bristol, is a Grade II* listed mansion house built in 1814 from Bath stone. Externally, it follows the graceful Palladian architectural style, while inside the bold Greek Revival style is complemented by striking 19th century decor.
Beautifully situated on the edge of The New Forest, family owned, Hamptworth Golf and Country Club enjoys some of England’s most magnificent and ancient countryside. It features a fabulous 18 hole golf course, meeting and conference facilities and acres of outside space.
We have hundreds of venues on our books from the rustic to the supremely luxurious; we guarantee we can find the one to suit your event perfectly. Many of the venues we work with offer a discount to their advertised rack rate, which Banshee Events is proud to pass on to you. Its all part of our transparent price policy.
August 2008
Sole Devotion
How marvellous does this sound! “Sole Devotion” At Liberty of London. Entertain your guests with a shoe trend and fashion show followed by private shopping in their Shoe Boutique. Your event will commence with a fashion show in ladies wear on the 1st floor presented by Liberty’s head of bespoke services. The evening will include a selection of modern British Champagne & Canapés; a fashion show tailored to your demographic; followed by private shopping in the new Shoe Boutique with the personal shopping team available for consultations. Also available are mini makeovers by one of Liberty’s beauty houses including Nars, Laura Mercier and Shu Uemera. Sheer indulgence and fabulously exclusive! Contact us for more information.
July 2008
Special Offer
Banshee have created a great offer. We are so confident that you will use our services again, well give you 10% off when you do.
So if you havent tried us yet, give us a call and then the second event we arrange for you will have an automatic 10% discount. If we have worked with you before, your next project will be 10% cheaper! Hurrah!
June 2008
New Website!
We have renewed our website. We've included case studies so you can understand exactly what we have done for our clients and have added some new pictures so you can see how things went! Wed love to know your thoughts tell us what you think!
Italia!
We have fallen in love with Italy. If you would like to fall in love, why not arrange your next recognition event for staff or customers on Italys fabulous Amalfi coast. We have recently returned from the ultimate in luxury hotels, overlooking Capri and a stones-throw from bohemian Ravello with its glorious limoncello factory! It would make the most amazing trip and we could help you to make it truly memorable plus wed get to go back!! Call us for a free consultation.
May 2008
Salon Privé
Fancy a day out looking at beautiful cars, sipping champagne and wearing your best bib and tucker? Salon Prive at the painfully stylish Hurlingham Club in London could be right up your street. The event runs from 2-4th July and has tickets available for daytime and evening events. You can meet sporting great, enter the best dressed lady competition or just wander round and drink in the fabulousness. Give us a call to find out more.
April 2008
Check this out!
Isnt this the coolest thing youve ever seen. We were so excited when we saw this, you could argue we dont get out much I guess! Its a brand new gadget that comes in several sizes that can be used as a table centre, a favour for a wedding, an award or just a great giveaway. The whole structure comes to bits so you can reassemble it in any shape you like and it can be engraved with your logo or personal message. We love them! Contact us for more info.
Messing about on the river
With a few warm days, thoughts turn to how we can spend a beautiful summer day messing about on the river. There are loads of different options for this, from zap cats blasting about to a gentle cruise with glass of champagne in hand you can even mix the two for the ultimate water based treat for staff, customers or your dearest friends. Give us a call, wherever you are in the UK, for water based fun near you.
March 2008
Environmentally aware!
We have been working on some environmental road shows over the past few months and this has opened our eyes to being environmentally friendly. We all think that by recycling we are doing our bit, but reusing things and reducing the volume of stuff that we buy has a far bigger impact. So that got us to thinking, the event industry is a notoriously wasteful business think about all the food, paper, flowers and other waste that ends up in the bin in the clear up after and exhausting event. Banshee has formulated itself an environmental policy which is to reduce, where possible, the amount of stuff we buy; stationary is a prime example. Re-use what we can; this has taken a bit more thought but we have recommended reusable table centres rather than flowers to some clients and we now write on the back of waste paper rather than bin it. We also recycle all of our cardboard, paper, glass and tins. Its certainly reduced the volume of rubbish that goes out for the bin men!
February 2008
Get your venue right!
Your venue is more than just the place everyone turns up to for your event... it's the envelope in which your conference message is delivered. Get it wrong and you could be shooting yourself in the foot. Every event demands a different style of venue, but in our experience if you get the wrong style of venue, delegates feel disengaged and you are fighting an up hill battle from the get go. Top tips are go for the most expensive venue you can afford, no-one wants to feel that the event has been done on the cheap. Visit the site well beforehand - websites can be misleading. Taste the food. Work closely with the onsite event manager and finally get everything agreed in writing.
January 2008
Happy New Year!
So, we are all back at work and it doesnt feel like weve had a break. No doubt we gained a few pounds and the weather is depressing. Terrific happy new year everybody! But wait, its the time of year for new beginnings and optimism. Why not plan your events programme for the year now, so you know where your budget is going and you can look forward to that summer barbeque now? Banshee are experts in making the best use of your hard earned event budget and ensuring that your customers, staff and you feel loved and special. Give us a call for a free consultation and well talk it through!
Monaco beckons!
The ultimate corporate hospitality event is coming up fast. 11th May is the Formula one grand prix in Monaco. Live like a star for a couple of days and soak up the atmosphere and the champagne. Rub shoulders with the glitterati, what could be better. Make your clients feel the most special clients in the world. Contact us for more information.
December 2007
Hospitality with knobs on!
How does a corporate hospitality package at London Fashion Week sound? Fabulous darling! February 10-15th 2008 are the dates to get in your diary now. Whether it's an early morning breakfast, a fine dining lunch or an evening fuelled with champagne and canaps, be the first to experience the exclusivity of the catwalk and much more. See trends for the forth coming season before anybody else, discover hidden gems and find out the gossip of the notoriously intrinsic fashion world. Contact us for more info!
Merry Christmas!
All of us a Banshee would like to wish you a fantastic festive season and a prosperous, healthy and happy 2008!
November 2007
Improve performance
Team building has had a bad rap over the years in some cases justly so. However it is important to recognise the benefits of a well performing team. Like a well oiled machine it will run and run, delivering your companies objectives and meeting targets to enable you to grow and stay competitive. A lack of harmony can be very detrimental to this. There are 6 key steps to ensuring that any team development programme you embark on will succeed. 1. Recognise the need for departmental synergy. 2. Start at the top the senior team need to work well before you can start on the staff. 3. Keep the momentum going a one off event has little long term effects. 4. Recognise the attributes of your top performers and then try and instill these ideals in others. 5. Communicate with your staff from the outset buy-in is essential. 6. Be flexible. Talk to us about how we can help bring your team together.
Novelty giveaway!
As you know, we like to introduce you to new and exciting ideas to wow your customers with. How about a branded snow globe! Fantastically kitsch and decidedly retro, its the perfect gift for those trendy-wendys among you!
October 2007
Christmas is looming!
Dont forget your Christmas party! December is a busy month for most people and Fridays get booked up quickly, so get a date in the diary and then send your guests save the date cards. This will give you more time to sort out where your party will be held and what theme it will take. Give us a call for some inspiration!
Conference Season
Are you thinking about your annual conference for 2008 yet? A well run conference can make your staff the most effective brand ambassadors you could wish for. We all think to look after our customers but do we think to look after our staff? Plan your event well in advance and put yourself in their shoes, what would they like to see and feel. Let us help you plan the conference to end all conferences!
September 2007
Eventful 07
Bournemouth is hosting Eventful on 9th and 10th October. This is an events event, that is great for getting inspiration and meeting great new suppliers. Its well worth a visit even if you arent in the industry.
August 2007
Inspirational stuff!
We have some great new suppliers including something that will introduce the wow factor to any event whether its a private party or a team conference. How does fire walking sound? Or glass walking? Or board breaking? All of these are great motivators for a business audience and a fabulous, memorable addition to a private function. We just love them and hope you will too plus they have a 100% safety record! Contact us for more information.
Summer fun if we ever get one!
We have some great links with a yacht company on the Solent who has a plethora of yachts and a beautiful brand new powerboat all of which are available to hire with crew and fabulous lunch with champagne. Their prices are really competitive and could be the answer to your client or staff reward trips. Contact us to discuss how this could work for you!
July 2007
Tis the season
well nearly! With all this miserable weather, you could be forgiven for thinking Christmas was just around the corner; but in event terms, it is. If you would like something other than turkey and tinsel for your staff or clients this year speak to us. We have some great ideas for original Christmas parties including team games and challenges to whet their appetite, themed parties at unique venues as well as luxury options to spoil everyone! Dont leave it til the last minute some hotels and restaurants are booked up already for the most popular dates this years hot date is 14 December. Let us help you make this a festive season to remember!
Smoking ban
As of July 1st, all indoor venues have implemented the smoking ban. Most places have outdoor spaces which can be used for smokers some more successful than others. The law states that the structure has to be 50% or more open, so many places who purchased plastic bus top style structures with a roof and three sides, have found that they are not within the letter of the law. Some of the more successful areas we have seen are at the rear of venues, so guests arent walking through a gaggle of smokers not a great advert for the venue. Any breach in the smoking law will cost the individual a fine (50 reduced to 30 if paid in 15 days) not to mention the venue itself, which if it is a constant offender, will be ultimately be required to pay 2500. It is the venues responsibility to enforce the ban, however if the event is held in a temporary structure like a marquee, it is your responsibility (and ours!) to ensure smoking is restricted to outdoor areas.
June 2007
London Fashion Week
For the ultimate in corporate hospitality how about sending your best clients or staff to London Fashion week? It is running from 15th - 20th September. A truly exclusive event, with over fifty iconic trend-setting designers on the catwalk, 200 designers show casing their Spring/Summer 2008 collection and over 5000 international press and buyers, this sets the scene for a fantastic opportunity to entertain in style. Usually only open to the fashion industry, this would be a real coup for those dedicated to fashion. Tickets will sell out extraordinarily fast so contact us today for more information.
May 2007
Event Portfolio
In order to maximise your marketing budget and staff motivation budget, planning your events for the forthcoming year is a good idea. This ensures that you are hitting the right markets at the right time to increase leads for new business, looking after current clients and motivating your staff effectively. It is a good idea, to investigate industry specific events where you can exhibit or present to increase awareness of your business. It is also wise to ask your existing clients and staff what they would like to do as a reward and recognition event. Events are far more successful if the attendees feel they have been involved in the process. We can work with you to develop a truly fantastic event portfolio which makes best use of your budget and guarantees a return on your investment.
March 2007
Christmas Parties
No not for 2007; although the earlier you book, the more choice you have This is about 2006. Some companies leave their Christmas party fashionably late and have still not arranged a company get together. We can arrange a spectacular celebration that will be memorable and welcome, during this quiet social period. The only limits are your imagination!
Fun Stuff
We have found some great new fun stuff to compliment any event. We mentioned axe throwing and ferret racing earlier, there are many other ideas including virtual golf and football games, human table football and much more! Give us a call to give light relief to your next event.
February 2007
International Confex
Co-director of Banshee Events, Tony Quinn was a guest speaker at the event industrys flagship event, International Confex on 22 February. The event is held over three days at Londons Earls Court and the great and the good from the events industry move heaven and earth to be there. Tonys seminar was on Engaging your Audience and he was supported by a Customer Advocate in the shape of Andy Reeve from Business Link one of our best clients. A pod cast will be available in the next couple of months and when it is, we will send a link to it so you can hear it for yourselves.
Team Charter
One of the things we are working on with a number of our clients is what we call a team charter. This is an agreement between everyone on the team to work within some friendly guidelines. These are outside of processes and procedures and are more about how we would like to be treated and will treat others. Every team charter is different, as every member of the team works together to draw up something that everyone agrees with and can work to. Our clients who use a team charter have found it very useful in removing the barriers between teams and have also found it has helped to prevent some reactions and comments being taken personally, through having clear understanding of intentions.
Being hospitable
How would you like to do something a bit different for your clients? Every year, many companies spend a lot of money on a day at a sporting event or similar pre-organised event where they get their clients together to talk shop and build relationships. These can be very expensive and do not necessarily match your brand image and values. Why not provide a personalised day for your clients that better reflects who your business is and what it stands for? We are working with some of our clients on specially designed days that exactly meet their objectives. One example is a ride and drive day set at a beautiful country house location. The guests will be able to drive a selection of cars throughout the day as well as take part in some country pursuits some well known and some more unusual like axe throwing or ferret racing! All this, and some fabulous food and drink will be supplied. Our client sees this as a better way of getting their clients together and better represents the way their company likes to do business. Talk to us for a personalised hospitality plan for you.
January 2007
Spring Clean Your Team
Our January newsletter was dedicated to spring cleaning your team. It was great to speak to some of you about putting a programme together. Banshee Events provides structured team development to improve your teams relationships and communication skills. If your team understand each other and communicate effectively, your working environment will be more happy and productive. Our development programmes can be anything from a couple of hours to a week-long intensive course. Above all, learning should be fun and Banshee days are always that!
Click here for some comments from satisfied customers
Cut through the information clutter
The undeniable effectiveness of face-to-face interaction is increasingly attractive to companies looking to cut through the information clutter. This is one of the findings of the EventView 2006 survey. People take on information through three main avenues - audio, visual and kinaesthetic. The face to face event meets all three of these better than the written word. All that is left to decide is what your objectives are and who your audience is. Then let us take the strain and give your audience the most experiential event they have ever attended.
December 2006
Open Day
STOP PRESS! Banshee are preparing to hold an open day in early June we think the best way of getting across how beneficial team development can be, is to show you. So, we are planning a day at a venue near Salisbury, where we can show you what we can do and you can have a go at some of the challenges. It will be a great fun day with some refreshments included. More info to follow!
November 2006
Colour Works
Have you thought about your teams personalities? Are they sociable, persuasive and expressive? Or caring, patient and amiable? Or competitive, determined and strong willed? Or cautious, analytical and precise? There are four main categories that peoples work personas fall into and the best teams have a good mixture of all types. Each persona can be represented by a colour. We have an expert who can establish what personality types your team have and then work with them to help them work better together. Combine this process with some fun challenges to illustrate their differences and you have a great team! Give us a call to discuss how this approach could help you and your teams.
Destination management
Banshee Events has some fab links with foreign countries. Countries include Dubai; France; Spain; Holland; Barbados as well as places all over the UK. Why not reward your star players with a trip or incentivise your sales team to perform better than ever? Contact us for a wealth of ideas. Click on this link for more ideas - http://www.bansheeevents.com/recognition.htm
Your own beautiful cocktails
How would you like to wow your friends or colleagues with your own bespoke cocktail party? We have discovered the most amazing mobile cocktail bar and bar tenders who can create the perfect cocktail menu for your event. Whether its a twist on the classics like Coriander Mojitos or a completely new flavour like Blueberry Capirkoska; they can provide the best cocktails using the world finest liquor. Contact us for more information and a sample menu.
October 2006
Twas the night before Christmas
well nearly! Its less than nine weeks until the big day! However, its not too late to book your Christmas party! We have some fabulous ideas, which we are only too pleased to help you with. Our clients are holding a wide range of different events including an away day with a manhunt and some laser clay pigeon shooting followed by a fabulous lunch and party games. Plus we are also helping with a fully dressed, all singing and dancing party for 2000 people including a snow machine, triple chocolate fountain and hand painted draping to create a winter wonderland in a basic conference space. We have also got access to the fabulous Champagne Lounge in Covent Garden who have a few exclusive dates left. Click here for more inspiration.
Natty Gizmo
We have found a terrific new marketing or communication device. It is a sprung box which folds flat and goes in a wallet and when the wallet is opened, the box springs out displaying your message and surprising the recipient! A fantastically novel idea for Christmas cards; to promote your business or as an original invitation to an upcoming event. Contact us for a photo or a sample.
September 2006
Journeyman
We have discovered a fantastic new board game designed for teams and companies who have a burning question they would like to answer using the whole team and some out of the box thinking. The game is a unique, patented tool to encourage the team to think about a particular question with fresh eyes and from a different angle. Having played the game, I can vouch that it is extremely powerful and could genuinely change the way you run your team or business. You will certainly adjust your original question as you progress through the game, as what is important comes to the fore. It can be played over a couple of hours to a half day or full day session and is facilitated to ensure the group gets the most from the game. Be one of the first teams to experience a new phenomenon!
We have developed some new team challenges to get the most from your team away day.
Two of our favourites are
Manhunt
This is a great way of developing your teams relationship their communication skills and their mental agility. A series of clues and challenges lead the team ultimately to a person who has some information to gain the team a reward.
They will engage with the local population, using walkie-talkies, mobile phones, the Internet and in some cases vehicles to meet the objectives.
Director for a day!
One of our favourites is a film making challenge where we supply all the cameras, editing equipment and expert training for the team to make a film about any given subject. This activity works well for product development and perception altering workshops or just for fun. The day ends with the group having an Oscar style ceremony and dinner and watching each others films.
August 2006
And now for something completely different!
We not so different really Christmas cards. We can recommend a novel, reasonably priced way to stay in contact with your clients and key suppliers at Christmas. Send a Christmas Bauble to everyone! The baubles can be created in any colour and finish with your logo or message printed on the bauble. These are a fantastic idea and very different and certain to get your company noticed. Also if you have a company Christmas tree or display at your premises, these make a great personalised addition to your display I guarantee your clients will want one when they come into your premises!
Put some light on the situation
We have found some amazing interactive lights that are used outside. They are Chinese Lanterns a paper lantern which when lit, floats away into the sky and can create a great display without the cost of fireworks, with the added advantage that the audience have released the lanterns to create the display. We have incorporated them into one of our team development challenges as well as providing them for an added after dinner touch at Christmas parties.
July 2006
Christmas Parties! Now is the time to think about your Christmas party. All the best venues get booked up quickly! If you like to celebrate Christmas in style this year, we can design a bespoke party for you that exceeds yours and your guests expectations and ensures that Christmas 2006 goes down as the best Christmas ever!
Wow! This has been our busiest month ever. We have been helping loads of team work better together - some with a serious business focus and others purely for fun. We are also into planning for Christmas parties with this years hot theme of Cuba playing a large part in a lot of parties.
New team member. Meet Jo - she is our summer work experience star who is working hard designing events, marketing Banshee and generally helping us in our busiest period. Jo is off to Uni in September to study an event management degree for 3 years but will be back in her holidays to keep on gaining experience in the industry.
June 2006
Team Development Funding There is a variety of funding available to develop your leaders or teams which many of our clients have taken advantage of. Using our in house experts we can get the best from your team so you can see the stars emerge and get them firing on all four cylinders - all aiming for the same goal.
Dubai We have made some fabulous contacts in Dubai so we can arrange a great trip to reward your team or for a conference with a difference or indeed a private trip for you. Highlights include camping out under the stars in the desert, skiing (yes skiing) in 35 degree heat and luxury accommodation like nowhere else in the world. Give us a call to discuss the ultimate trip.
May 2006
Monaco 2007 How would you like to be amongst the stars, champagne in hand watching the most exciting motor race of the year in ultimate luxury? Contact us for details of your visit to the Monaco Grand Prix in 2007 - book early to get the best seats in town.
April 2006
Cuba Libre! Fancy hand folling some cigars, dancing the Samba to a live band and sipping Cuba Libres? Sounds like the perfect evening to me! Why not have your next event themed around this years hottest theme?
March 2006
We have access to some fabulous exclusive hospitality at the Monaco Grand Prix in May 06. If you would like to arrange the ultimate weekend for you and your friends or for your employees or customers, give us a call to discuss your needs. This is truly one weekend not to be missed!
On Thursday 2 March we are at the Business South Exhibition at St Marys Stadium, Southampton. We aren't exhibiting this time but we are taking part in the 'Meet the Buyer' sessions. If you are there and fancy a chat and a coffee, please give us a call on 07841 024240 - we'd love to meet you!
It is a busy time for team development at the moment. We are currently putting together a great new Leadership and Communications Programme for existing managers along with training experts, Gateway Training. This can be run as a personalised session for one company or as a group session with people from differing companies. We plan to start them at the end of the month. For more information please contact the Banshee Office.
February 2006
Wow! What a busy month! We have been rushing around like quite the busy bees! Firstly we had a huge success when we hosted the first Salisbury Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting. They wanted something different and memorable and we certainly delivered that! Everyone who attended agreed that it was the most productive networking session they had been to plus it set them up beautifully for the work day ahead. The next one is planned for the 11 April at 7.30am at the Coach and Horses pub on Winchester St, Salisbury - why not come along? Contact the Chamber of Commerce for more details.
We have also been working closely with a fabulous new venue between Yeovil and Dorchester - it's a Grade II listed manor house with fantastic grounds and the most dedicated staff. If you or your clients need somewhere new and different to hold that meeting or special event, this is the place. Give us a call to find out the details.
We have also been talking about weddings a lot this month. More and more people want something out of the ordinary for their big day; like stilt walkers scattering confetti for example! Add that to the hectic schedules most of us are running to, and an event management company could be your saving grace! Contact us...
January 2006
Happy New Year! We promised details of our 2006 Challenge - its called "National Treasures and Heroes 2006." More details can be found by clicking on the link below.
click here - National Treasures and Heroes 2006
We have also put together the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce and Industry's annual events schedule for 2006, based on the responses received from the member survey we carried out last year. There are over 30 events planned for the year, from business lunches to go-karting! Contact the Chamber of Commerce for more details.
December 2005
Banshee have had an article about the benefits of team building for all companies - no matter what size, published in a fab new events magazine called The Main Event. We are on page 25 if you have a copy!
November 2005
We are staging our own amazing weekend challenge in 2006. Full details will be available very shortly but we can tell you it's going to be fab! Anyone can take part - you need to be in teams of 4 in a vehicle, so have a think about who would be in your team.
October 2005
Banshee was included in 'The Events Bible' supplied to the 15 teams taking part in the Alan Sugar Challenge in aid of the Hackney Empire.
September 2005
We exhibited at the South Wiltshire Business EXPO which was a roaring success for all involved. Tessa Sanderson was the key speaker at the launch party. Banshee Events recorded a radio interview for air on Spire FM - very nerve-wracking! This is us looking shell shocked!
July 2005
We have been awarded Bronze Patronage of the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce for a range of event services we have provided to the Executive Officer including a member survey. We are also helping them to plan the next 12 months events and assist in the organisation of them.
June 2005
We have developed a new product - Company Documentaries. A fabulous way of showing how your company has become what it is today. This is great to use for marketing and to show your grand-children!